Journeys After Darkness
by NeoCarvador
Summary: FFVII Sequel. Thought dead, Sephiroth haunts Cloud in his dreams and begins to manipulate him yet again. As Cloud questions his existence, the already struggling planet is in thrown into disarray as Wutai declares war. MANY new characters. PLEASE R&R!
1. Battle of the Ages

FFVII: Journeys After Darkness:  
CHAPTER I - The Battle of Ages  
NOTE: The First TWO chapters of JAD are the ending from the videogame and are merely my interpretation. If you have already finished the game and aren't interested in re-reading the end sequence please skip to Chapter 3. Thanks!  
  
Gleaming brightly in spite of the perpetual darkness enveloping us, my sword again swung at the self-proclaiming god. He was mine, for the hour I would have my revenge had come. Gripping the rugged, taped handle of the massive Buster Sword I readied to thrust as I dodged the Masamune, my enemy's legendary 6-foot sword that had already impaled me once before, long ago, or was that yet another of my illusions? No, there was no time to think about that. Concentration was key, for physical strength no longer mattered. I was fighting the last stage of the great battle, the final battle. Deep within the spirit center of the Earth my own spirit fought his. Now was the time to finish him, while he was weak in body. I couldn't fail, for this was a battle of mind.  
  
Calmly he fought. Both of us had been in the lifestream of the Earth before, I in a freak accident in which the Earth had swallowed me up, Sephiroth a million times over, for he had been traveling it and absorbing the knowledge of centuries for the majority of the latter part of my life. My idol, Sephiroth, you were my idol. I looked up to you and now, after you've killed nearly half the people of this Earth, I have no choice but to finish you. This time for good!  
  
He began to grin. Grinning? He was grinning!? How could he have any hope left for himself? After trekking across the globe for months for one single cause my party and I had followed Sephiroth to the center of the Earth, finally beating him once and for all, and now as I stood in the nothingness of his own crazy mind and the spirits of a thousand others as well, ready to finish him off, he gave me a smirk. If I had time for such things, I would have gotten goose bumps, as anyone would have had they gotten a chance to look the psychotic master of destruction in the face for at least a second before being obliterated. How could he be so cold? How could he be so insane!? Driven by a cause he himself found faulty, and he had the prerogative to instruct me in a lesson of illusions!? Damn you Sephiroth! Damn you to hell eternal for destroying my life and all I thought I knew! Perhaps the past has past but now I'm not so sure I even ever had one, all thanks to you. To escape from a world of illusions, I wonder which is better. Hmm, you were right Vincent Valentine.  
  
As the majestic yet inane melee continued, I began to feel doubt. He was so powerful. Even though we had defeated him once, now the ultimate sword fight between good and evil that would decide his outcome ensued. Unable to give up hope for myself, I fought without thinking, the best way I could. Then I felt the muscles in my arms begin to pump like pistons and, with a sudden thrust, I felt the blood rush to my head and my lips go cold and drop open as I stared in awe. How could this be? Never before had I ever expected to see what was now occurring in front of my very own eyes. Sliding a bit backwards and staring straight through me, his once grinning mouth now hung slightly open, coughing up blood, and his cheeks turned pale. Pupils contracted, he lowered his convulsing head in order to inspect the damage he had taken to his lower torso. His arms went rigid and then loosened, the Masamune falling from his right hand as he realized that the gigantic Buster sword was now lodged tightly in his lower intestine. I, in as much disbelief as he was, for who would have foreseen the death of a near-god, begun to stutter and with failing strength drew the blade out slowly, blood now quickly running down its silver length, causing him to falter. Stepping back into the darkness that surrounded us, he grasped at his heavily bleeding wound and began to scream so horribly sickeningly that it made me cringe. Light emitting and tearing him apart as the evil spirit of Sephiroth faded, he screamed louder and louder until a sudden blinding flash caught me off guard and caused me to cover my eyes, and then he was gone forever. The beginning of the end had come to pass, and now the only thing we can do is wait and see if our efforts will pay off. But first, it has become essential to escape the crater... and fast...  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. A Godsend

Chapter II: A Godsend  
  
Silence. I sat there, dumbfounded because our journey now seemed to be over. We had completed our mission, and now for the first time in months I had the chance to think about all that had happened up to that point. Death is all that entered my mind. How many people have died!? Think of all the men and women that were killed at the hands of Sephiroth! And... think of all those who we had to kill when they stood up to us... too many deaths. Suddenly everything around me began to move, and flowing strands of green energy circled around me. The Lifestream! As they collected in a spot above my head I noticed some strands of Lifestream were red, the same that had come out of Sephiroth at his death. What? Could it be? No, even if that is his spirit or energy or whatever, I killed him! Both in mind and body! ...what's left?   
"Cloud!" I heard someone yell softly. Looking up to where the strands of energy were leading, a hand was reaching out to me through a plate of light. That hand... Aeris? My vision began to blur, and I felt dizzy...  
"Cloud! Grab my hand, you're going to fall!" screamed Tifa. Looking down, I saw the ground cracking between my feet. I was back out of the Lifestream, back in the crater!  
'Oh shit!' I thought to myself, as the rock crumbled around me. Looking up at Tifa, who was kneeling, calling for me on an outcrop on the wall of the cave, I watched as a rock hit the outcrop and sent it and Tifa falling toward the ground. Sprinting to where she was, I grabbed her and jumped to hang on to an edge for dear life. The quake then subsided.  
"I think I'm beginning to understand..." I said softly, tears forming in my eyes.  
"What?"  
"An answer from the Planet... the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... there."  
"Yeah, let's go meet her." Tifa responded kindly, tucking her head into my chest as I pulled us back up on to the outcrop from which she had fell. Tossing her up on to it and then following her by lifting myself up, we sat on the rocky outcrop breathing heavily. Suddenly the Lifestream pool that I had just been in back down at the bottom of the crater lit up, and changed from a green to a bright blue. Holy was activating now that Jenova and Sephiroth were dead.  
"Hey, where is everyone?" I asked.  
"Heeeey!" barked Barrett, as I turned around to see the rest of the loyal party waving back at us from another outcrop across the crater.  
"I'm glad you're all safe!" Tifa yelled back.  
"They all seem to be safe, too." said Barrett quietly to Cid. "But, now what're we going to do?"  
"Holy should be moving soon." advised Nanaki, looking grim. "and that means this place will..."  
"Oh, Lady Luck don't fail me now..." Cid prayed, interrupting Nanaki. All of a sudden, the ground began to shake again, and as Cid stared up the cigarette dropped from his mouth. Here came the Highwind down the narrow crater hole! "Everyone get in! Quick! We gotta get outta here!"  
  
Several minutes later, as the Highwind again attempted to escape from the crevasses of the North Crater, I heard an insanely loud roar from behind. "OH BOY! GET MOVING! HOLY IS ON ITS WAY! HANG OOOOONNN!" I screamed as the giant blue ball of energy pounded into us, sending the Highwind miles high up, still with no power. Shoving us out of its way as everyone on deck continued to shake and fall everywhere, Holy continued upwards as the Highwind plummeted back to Earth, metal plating and engines all being ripped off as the airship spiraled out of control.  
"$#@%!" cursed Cid, not willing to lose the ship that he so loved. Pulling on a big red handle labeled 'emergency', the Highwind suddenly exploded in a massive fire-ball and from the smoke the prototype escape module flew off at high speeds. Safe now, the real wait began, the fate of Earth was now out of our hands.  
  
As the new version of the Highwind circled around Midgar, the team and I hoped and prayed Holy would be there soon to stop Meteor. As Meteor got closer and closer, the ground and sky around it began to turn red, and massive red tornadoes, jolting with high energy, formed, connecting the city of Midgar to Meteor, and tearing everything on the ground apart. Lightning struck everywhere in quick succession. Meteor was truly of massive energy. Flashing brightly twice in the north, the team then noticed the approach of Holy. It was going straight for Midgar and the Meteor! Blasting through the tornadoes, the blue energy stopped the destruction of Midgar, if only temporarily, and began holding Meteor in place, ... but it was too late. Meteor was too close to the city and began to cut through Holy, once again wreaking havoc on Midgar.  
"Wait a damn minute!" Barrett said angrily. "What's going to happen to Midgar!? We can't let that happen!"  
"I had everyone take refuge in the slums, but the way things are now..." reported Cait-Sith, actually a head executive of the now defunct Shin-Ra corporation. Approaching the gigantic window, looking very concerned, Nanaki began to speak wisely:  
"It's too late for Holy." he said, shocking everyone on board. "Meteor is approaching the Planet. Holy is having the opposite effect. Forget Midgar, we've gotta worry about the Planet!"  
  
As the hours ticked by and Meteor slowly got nearer and nearer to destroying Earth, all the while destroying Midgar, we sat on the bridge of the airship, waiting and watching silently. Looking out to the side, Tifa abruptly shouted:  
"What's that!?" Everyone rushed over. A green light was glowing on the side of a mountain. It began to grow, much like a vine, out of the ground, and then other lights sprouted out as well. Soon, all over, these glowing, growing energies were reaching up out of the Earth.  
"What the hell IS that ..... ?" Barrett yelled impatiently, obviously on edge.  
"... Lifestream." I answered. Flowing together, the lifestream energies began to head towards Midgar. Thousands of them now, across the world, seen by everyone.  
"It is coming..."  
Surrounding Midgar and Meteor, the Lifestreams lit up even brighter, speeding up and rushing into the devastated area. The Earth was defending itself, the Earth was healing itself.  
  
A flash again, and evil was banished. I had the strange feeling that Aeris was next to me, thanking me. Tired... so tired. I need a sleep back at our condo... back in Costa Del Sol. Yeah.... 


	3. Foreboding Dreams

Chapter III: Foreboding Dreams  
  
Hovering over an overgrown patch of dirt and weed, the Highwind made a smooth landing just outside of the resort town of Costa Del Sol, where I had bought a leisurely condo suite. It was about 3 in the morning, but everyone was awake across the planet after witnessing the day's events. Recognizing us as the world's saviors, many of the townsfolk and tourists ran to where we were as other locals and security staff tried to qualm the growing crowd. Too tired to talk, we stumbled into to our suite, Barrett handing a lifeguard 800 gil to keep them undisturbed. Immediately upon falling on the soft cushions we drifted off into darkness. Perhaps the others in the room had pleasant dreams knowing that they had just saved the world, but I couldn't sleep in peace. Sephiroth's face, I couldn't get it out of my head... Oh god... no more nightmares...  
  
Sitting in the darkness, Sephiroth breathed in and out heavily. He was wounded... but not dead yet. He cackled deeply after every breath, his head leaning down and his hand covering his face.  
"I killed you already..." I mumbled, half-realizing that I was dreaming even though I still felt fear due to his presence.  
"No my boy, our lives have only just begun."  
"OURS!? I have nothing to do with you! And you're dead! I destroyed the last of the Jenova cells... in YOU! That's how Holy was freed! I HAVE PROOF!" I shouted hysterically, wishing to beat him down.  
"Hmm... you've come this far and still you understand nothing. The darkness in your heart... do you feel it?"  
"What?"  
"Why do you think I stopped controlling you, Cloud?" Sephiroth answered. "It's not gone, oh no... I just stopped using you. You are my future, our future, I realized that. Using you again... might lead you to suicide just to stop yourself. Then where would I be? I had to take this sacrifice, ending in my doom. But our journey has only just begun..." he concluded, beginning to stand upright.  
"The Jenova cells! They're all gone! DEAD!"  
"YOU IDIOT!" he hissed, his snake-like aquamarine eyes penetrating my skull. "What about YOURS? You too were injected with them! You are the last one in which they live and subside! It's far from over! Holy was released even though Jenova wasn't all gone!"  
"This makes no sense... you're a dream!"  
"I RELEASED HOLY!" he screamed hysterically. "AFTER I WAS KILLED I ENTERED THE LIFESTREAM AS SPIRIT ENERGY! MY BODY, MY MIND ARE GONE! BUT NOT MY SPIRIT! I RELEASED HOLY BECAUSE NOW THAT I WAS DEAD MY PLAN WITH METEOR WOULD NOT WORK! IT WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU, MY ONLY CHANCE LEFT!"  
"...dream... DREAM!" I told myself, clenching my teeth hard and biting my tongue. I was going to have a heart attack, this was too much to take! This had to be a dream... right? "What about Aeris? If you're controlling all the world and you're just a spirit now, why can't any spirit do the same!? Why not Aeris? SHE's an ancient, NOT YOU!"  
"Because, my dear son Cloud..."  
"Don't call me dear son you sick pervert!" I interrupted, Sephiroth paying no attention. "Make this dream stop!"  
"... because she's no longer here in the Lifestream! She's not dead anymore! She's born again through the cycle of life and death... unable to do anything to counter my actions!"  
"You mean, she's not dead? She's a baby now or something?" I said in shock, approaching the homicidal maniac.  
"Yes, and now I am in control. For, besides her, I am the one with the most knowledge of the Ancients, the most knowledge of all things living and dead... past, present, and future. All are powerless to stop me; Aeris can do nothing as a child, can she?"  
"My god, what's happening? THIS IS YOUR FAULT SEPHIROTH!!"  
"And so... brother, son, clone, puppet... I leave you now. Good night... pleasant dreams..." Sephiroth said softly, a single white wing as if of an angel extending from his side as he laughed sinisterly and I faded off into darkness. I hoped for at least one pleasant dream before awakening, for it seemed that the peace now felt worldwide would soon fail.  
  
Shit... 


	4. Divided We Fall

Chapter IV: Divided We Fall  
  
"YOU SICK, TWISTED F***CK!!!!" I screamed as I woke from the dream, loud enough to strain my voice and wake Tifa who was sleeping next to me. Barrett, Reeve, Cid, and Vincent all looked up from the dimly lit table at which they were playing cards, staring with concern but certainly not surprise. Although we were all tired beyond belief and we had only been at the condo for about 2 hours, some of them still couldn't sleep given what had just happened not 3 hours ago.  
"Uh... errmm... nice to meet you Cloud." said Reeve, a tall former Shin-Ra executive who was sitting at the table with a hand full of cards. He was the man responsible for controlling the crazy robotic puppet named Cait-Sith that had helped us on our journey. "I'm Reeve, the guy that controls the Cait-Sith puppet. I'm also the guy that... uhmm... stole Barrett's little girl... Heh-heh.." gulped Reeve, sinking back into his chair as Barrett stared him down menacingly.  
"Yeah, he showed up a bit ago. Gunna go with me to Kalm later and get me Marlene, and uhh, ..., pay our respects to Aeris' mom too." Barrett said gruffly, remembering their fallen comrade. I understood what they were saying, but as Tifa noticed, I was sweating bullets and couldn't concentrate. Sephiroth... can't get his face out of my mind...  
"Cloud? What's wrong? Why'd you scream? You look sick, worried..." she said, wiping my brow with a handkerchief. Getting up from the Caribbean-style bed, I walked towards the bathroom and, turning on the faucet, splashed cool water on my face.   
"So I take it this is goodbye to that stupid @#$ of a clown Cait-Sith, eh Reeve? I never did like him..." Cid questioned.  
"W-why would you say that?" stuttered Reeve uncomfortably, keeping in mind that he was once their sworn enemy.  
"Well, he was made to be a spy for Shin-Ra, which is now a dead company. Besides, who would want to keep that nasty @#%! anyways?" Cid cursed.  
"Well, I guess I can take him permanently offline. I don't have any future plans for him."  
"Yea, just keep him in the basement here. We got a big basement, except the manager lives down there, heh-heh. Don't matter though, just throw the stupid *#%^ down there, I can't stand looking at him any more!" Cid concluded, turning his head away from the large lifeless ball of fluff leaning up against the corner of the room. Nanaki, who had been lying in the other corner eyes wide open after Cloud's little outbreak, then got up and with tail wagging nervously, interrupted the conversation.  
"WAIT! ...where's Yuffie?"   
As everyone looked suspiciously around the room, Vincent, eyes flashing back and forth, quickly slammed his Peacemaker handgun on the table, expecting the worse. Flipping open a side panel, he hoped the round spherical slots would be occupied with Materia.  
"oh... *$%#!" yelled Barrett and Cid in unison, quickly getting up from the table and inspecting their own weapons and armor. Vincent, still silent, slowly replaced his empty gun back in its holster.  
"Geez, looks like someone stole all of your Materia!" Reeve pointed out.  
"Yeah, well no @#%^!!!" Cid howled loudly, teeth clenched tightly as he dug through his jacket pockets for a trace of anything.  
"CLOUD!" Nanaki called as the others searched about the room. "Cloud, just like she said she would, Yuffie's ran off with all of our Materia!" Coming back in and examining my own sword which was placed near the door, I hung my head low and closed my eyes, still shaky from the nightmare. So much trouble already.  
"And no one saw her leave? I thought all of you were awake!" I inquired, beckoning to the card-players.  
"I don't know when she could have... @#!$, I don't think she ever even came in the room with us, that pint-sized thief!" Barrett elaborated angrily as he watched Cid stand.  
"Ya' know, I don't have time for this! I couldn't give a $#&% about Materia anymore, I just want to get back to Rocket Town and sort things out. The world's a mess still but I've done enough work! Besides, that %@#$%! Shera is probably stirring up trouble." Cid shouted, beginning to pack his belongings, grab his lance, and head for the door.  
"I... too... have some questions that need answering. Both my father and grandfather are now dead. Cosmo Canyon needs me..." Nanaki said softly, lowering his head.  
"Well, Reeve an' I were gonna go get Marlene... I want my Materia back thou'!" informed Barrett, sitting back down at the abandoned card-game.  
"I'll go... I have no family or friends or unanswered questions... I'll find Yuffie for lack of a better thing to do with my time." said Vincent gently. "You'd think she would learn..."  
"Thanks Vincent..." said Tifa, still at my side. "We're going, right Cloud?"  
"..... No..... yes, you are, but I'm not." I said, still dwelling on what I had seen in my dream and staring blankly. "I have something to take care of. I told you I was going to look for the Promised Land... I have to go. Goodbye everyone." Walking out of the beach house and grabbing my sword, I headed for the dock silently.  
"Cloud! Get back here!" Tifa cryed, running out the door and up the street to where I was and forcing me to look her in the face. Even though the night was pitch black, I could tell tears were forming in her eyes. "Why are you acting so strange? The group's braking apart Cloud! I thought we were going to try and piece back together this broken world as a team! What are you doing?"  
"Tifa....." I sighed. "I'm not so sure Sephiroth is dead..."  
"w-w-what!?" she stammered softly, beginning to loosen her grip on my arms. "Cloud, are you talking about your nightmare! That's all it was... a dream!"  
"Maybe you're right..."  
"Exactly..."  
"...but I have to know for sure. You and Vincent go get the Materia back. It seems everyone else has their own plans. If you need me or if you get our Materia back... just ring me on the PHS. Goodbye Tifa." I told her.  
"No Cloud! NO!" she roared, smacking me on the back and in the head as I turned to walk away. She was upset, I couldn't blame her. No one, including I, wanted any more trouble or problems to arise after all we've been through. But it didn't seem things would work out that way.  
Returning to the seemingly bungalow-themed condo where the team was assembling on the unlit porch, Tifa confronted them.  
"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now, everyone. Perhaps we'll all meet up once we get the Materia back or... well, I don't mean to keep you." she announced, looking depressed and saddening everybody with the look on her face. "Cid, if you don't mind, I think Vincent and I could use a lift..." 


	5. Truths

Chapter V: Truths (Cloud's Story)*  
NOTE: The story has now split into three separate quests. Chapters V, VI, and VII (and possibly groups of other future chapters) take place all at once. This chapter is from Cloud's point of view (as the majority of the fanfic is).  
  
As I continued walking away from the villa and an angry yet saddened Tifa, I passed the local bar in which a party was being held. Staring through the opened door, the manager caught my eye and, recognizing who I was, gestured for me to come in and join the party celebrating the downfall of Shin-Ra and the destruction of Meteor. Pacing forward again I ran my hand through my hair and let out a deep sigh. What fools, I thought, they shall suffer slowly and without mercy. My heart skipped a beat and my heart began to race, making the drumbeat of pumping blood audible to my ears. Stopping in my tracks, eyes wide open in shock, I let out a cough of pain. What was that? Why did I think that? I... just meant I don't think they would be partying just yet if they knew... what I knew. Sephiroth. Standing in the dust of the main road of Costa Del Sol, I studied myself in the moonlight. Staring down at my quivering hands and chest, I realized that I needed to get away from my friends as quickly as possible. Sephy had come home to the lifestream, and I was his permanent plaything.  
  
Still heading for the dock, the only way out of town that I knew of, I remembered where it was I wanted to head first: Midgar. For some strange reason I felt drawn to it in my search for the Promised Land and the questions I needed answered. Junon Port... that's still quite far away from Midgar. I'm going to need transportation after I cross the sea, I thought.  
"Chocobo! ...Boco!" I yelped out loud as I suddenly remembered the chocobo that had served me all too well in months past, who was now being cooped up in a pen in the Highwind's storage compartment. Jogging over to the airship parked just outside of town, I gained admittance from its crew and searched for Boco. Fast asleep, the big yellow bird let out a sharp shrill of excitement as I patted his large beak and saddled him up. Riding him down the plank and out of the ship, I saw Tifa and the others heading towards me in the darkness. I froze. For a split second I wanted to head towards them and say one last goodbye, but in that quick moment of indecision I lost my nerve and ran, too frightened to face them. 'Hyaa!' I shouted, jerking the reigns and forcing Boco into a full sprint for the industrial edge of town, where the docks were located. Somehow, I sensed Tifa was crying again.  
  
Passing under a sign and down a paved hill, Boco and I made it to the docks and helicopter land site. Spotting Barrett, Reeve and some of his guards climbing into the Shin-Ra Corp. helicopter, I pulled Boco back a few feet behind a stack of cargo to avoid being spotted. As the helicopter lifted up above my head, Boco shot up in the air, knocking me off of his back and onto the ground, as the loud roaring engines of the Highwind started up on the other edge of town and lifted it, too, into the air. As I lied on the pavement, watching the two crafts heading in opposite directions, my eyes began to fill up to their brim, a rare thing for me to do, but I was cut short in my sorrow as I heard the city dogs responding to the loud jet ship and the locals shouting: "Damn kids! Turn the music down!". Lifting myself back up and leading Boco by foot to the dock's office, I knocked thrice on the door, but to no avail. Peeking in through the shuttered windows, I again banged on the door. This time, the first mate of a docked carrier opened it, immediately demanding I leave them alone, that they were trying to get some ^&%!#ing sleep.  
"I need to get to Junon Harbor, now." I said coldly, looking at him portentously.  
"Listen bud," he said, looking a bit to the left of me since he still couldn't open his eyes just yet. "The passenger ship makes its routes on Mondays and Fridays. You'll have to wait a few days, ok?"  
"No, that is not ok. I want a ride on the ship that next leaves this port..."  
"I can't do that sir-" he began, but was cut short as I slammed the Buster Sword into the half-opened door, nailing in into the wall and making the first mate's eyes shoot wide open. I looked at him again, and nodded as the rest of the crew who had now woken up came to the door shouting profanities, some armed and ready for a fight.  
"I say we give the kind gentleman a ride, chaps..." gulped the first mate, tugging at his turtleneck that was only an inch away from the razor-sharp tip of my blade.  
"Sir, I'm the captain." spoke a tall, bald black man walking forward in front of the rest of the crew, trying to look brave and unafraid but showing fear in his eyes. "Mr... what's your name, sir?"  
"Strife, Cloud Strife..."  
"Wha-!! Why, I've heard of you! You're the supposed hero of the Planet! Granted, some people I've talked to don't believe that you're the one who saved us but I most certainly do! We would do anything for such a noble man, right lads?" rallied the captain, bowing and taking off his cap, his eyes glimmering with sheer excitement. "Why, we were going to leave in just a few hours, at dawn, but there's no problem in leaving now! Ramza, clock us in and take care of the departure papers. Oh yeah, and radio Junon that we'll be quite a bit early. Let's get ready boys!" he said, gesturing to his men and to the dock manager, Ramza. As the crew ran past Boco and I, I attempted to pry the sword from the door and wall, and one of the crewmen passing by gave me a nasty scowl as he holstered a shotgun that had been focused on me only a moment earlier. Sliding the Buster Sword back into its sheath behind my back, I followed the crew to the dock gangplank connected to the cargo hauler. Sitting on a wooden post as I waited for their preparations to be completed and for someone to open the main cargo door so I could get Boco in, I suddenly felt as if I were in an immediate danger, which gave me quite a jolt. Calming myself and looking around, I reminded myself that there really wasn't anything to worry about. Sephiroth is dead, you've completed your mission, I told myself, although keeping in mind that it was very possible that this 'fact' couldn't be farther from the truth.  
"Mr. Strife!" yelled someone from the aft of the ship down at my exhausted bent-over body. Lifting my chin from its resting place on my knuckles, I stared upwards and was told that the cargo bay door was now open so that I could come inside with Boco. As soon as I got in they would begin the journey. He also told me that I was welcome up in the control room with most of the crew, but I could stay in the cargo space if I wanted to, which when said gave me the feeling they were a bit afraid of me coming up and joining them. Tying Boco to a metal bar inside of the ship, I sat down on a box containing packages of collectible Shin-Ra SOLDIER dolls.  
"Those certainly WILL be collector's items soon..." I said to myself, grinning and taking comfort in the achievement of having rid the world of an ever-present oppression.  
  
"Because, you are... a puppet." echoed a surreal voice.  
  
'What? What the hell? Who was that... it sounded like... J-j-jenova? Oh god...' I thought, looking around me, 'THIS IS THE SAME SHIP!' And with that I fell into darkness, a darkness no nightmare could ever match in its horror and grief.  
"My mother is Jenova. She died right after she gave birth to me. My father... *HAHAHA*!"  
"...Was I created this way too?"  
"Ever since I was small, I've felt different from the others... special in some way. But not like this..."  
"Am I the same as all these monsters?"  
"Out of my way, I'm going to go see mother."  
"In my veins courses the blood of the ancients... I am one of the rightful heirs to this planet!"  
"So cold... I am always by your side."  
"What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the planet?"  
"Behold the mural. The Ultimate Destructive Magic... Meteor."  
"Once the planet is hurt, it gathers Spirit Energy to heal the injury. The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury. ...What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the Planet? Think how much energy would be gathered! Ha ha ha. And at the center of that injury, will be me. All that boundless energy will be mine. By merging with all the energy of the Planet, I will become a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the planet... I will cease to exist as I am now... only to be reborn as a 'God' to rule over every soul."  
"Mother... it's almost time... soon... we will become one."  
"Ha, ha, ha... stop acting as if you're sad. And there's no need to act as if you're angry either. Because, Cloud, you are... a puppet."  
*HAHAHAHAHAHA*!!!  
  
The thoughts, words, and feelings of Sephiroth came flowing into me. I could feel his essence binding with mine, that spoony bard, as I searched around in the empty darkness for something to grasp hold of, something to hang on to. Nothing. Trying to fight his control, I pulled at my own hair and nearly beat myself into submission. He was inside of me, I could feel it, and there was no way to subdue an enemy that is yourself. I tumbled in nothingness, all the while feeling the pain that came as Sephiroth began to take over my mind. And then... I became one with him, reliving his past. God, it was horrible, and in those few minutes of insanity I couldn't blame him for being the psychotic angel of darkness that he was. I saw his childhood, in which he was born as a human. While still in the womb, however, his insane father Professor Hojo, lead scientist at Shin-Ra Corporation, began injecting the embryo with the cells of an evil yet powerful creature known as Jenova, which Sephiroth later referred to as 'mother'. Continuing through his childhood he was repeatedly injected with these cells that made him powerful beyond belief. Shin-Ra, recognizing his potential, put him in the elite class of their military, SOLDIER. Quickly rising through the ranks he soon became the most powerful swordsman in the world. But then, as I watched this insane slideshow of chaotic memory, the fateful Nibelheim reactor incident occured, and... I, the Cloud in Sephiroth's memory, killed him as a young SOLDIER myself... or so many thought, for his real death would come years later. My brain pumped fast and throbbed hard in this awful confusion.  
  
Instantly the nightmare, the transformation I was undergoing, intensified as I watched even more of his memories. So much confusion and death.... clones, puppets, I DON'T UNDERSTAND! STOP TORTURING ME!!! I screamed at him, as he continued shifting through my body as I felt him burrowing deeper. And then he showed me the final battle. This had only happened 12 hours ago, and yet still it seemed unreal. As I saw the blade that killed him entering his stomach, I noticed something I hadn't seen before..., rather, Sephiroth now controlling me made me notice it. As his spirit dispersed at his death, which was red compared to the normal lifestream color of green which demonstrated that he was evil incarnate, it lingered near. Suddenly as the lifestream drew near me and gathered at the point where I escaped from the lifestream, the red energy of Sephiroth sped towards me, as if it had a mind of its own. Piercing my chest, it entered without my noticing... and didn't come out...  
  
"Oh god... OH GOD! Sephiroth is not controlling me from within the lifestream... SEPHIROTH IS IN ME! HIS VERY SPIRIT IS A PART OF ME!! HE IS IN MY BODY, MY MIND!!!" I screamed at myself in agony, tearing at my chest as if trying to dig him out.  
  
"...Yes, my 'puppet'." he whispered slowly, his voice echoing from the back of my mind. "And now our little fun shall begin."  
  
No wonder he was grinning. 


	6. Fears

Chapter VI: Fears (Reeve's Story)*  
NOTE: The story has now split into three separate quests. Chapters V, VI, and VII (and possibly groups of other future chapters) take place all at once. This chapter is from Reeve's point of view.  
  
"My, Barrett, what a large… gun you have."  
"Why thank you, I only use the finest equipment in upgrading, and equip it with the best Materia around… if only we still had any Materia." He replied with a smug grin, caring less about something so important to him just a bit ago.  
"I do believe… you have a boner, don't you?" asked the cute redhead sitting on the stool beside him.  
"Err… no, not at all. In fact, I've never had one!" Barrett croaked, smiling broadly. "But perhaps you could give me one." Wiping my forehead, which was resting on my hand as I sat on the barstool two seats away from the intimidating vigilante and his acquaintance, I noticed the cold sweat forming above my brow. Trying to peek over at the strange couple, I glanced across the bar and caught the eye of the pub's lead singer.  
"Really? You look like the kind of person that would have had one for quite a while. But sure, I could let you borrow mine… right now, if you wish." She replied. "In fact…"  
"OH PLEASE! STOP IT! You're killing me! What is wrong with you, you perverted madman!?? Get a room!" I yelled at Barrett, eyes twitching. It was then I noticed the white ring around the girl's lips and the golden brass instrument in her right hand. Barrett, turning around and looking at me with disgust, shook his head after realizing my mistake.  
"My god, Reeve, what the hell do you think we were talking about? Can't a guy talk to a female trombonist without your damn outbreaks!? You're just as annoying as the cat was!" Barrett noted gruffly. "Shit, you're the pervert with a mind ticking like that." He yelled, turning back to the disgruntled girl he had been charming only seconds ago, but then turning back again to add: "Geez! And you were with my Marlene! You sick jerk! I hope you didn't hurt her, 'cuz when we go see her, if she's hurt, I'll break your neck!"  
"…Sorry Barrett. I didn't know what you guys were talking about. Perhaps my judgment is a bit skewered after staying awake for so long lately." I said softly, leaning my pale cheek back against my palm and looking the other way in embarrassment. "The helicopter is probably prepared by now, why don't we just leave now?" I suggested, twiddling with a colored toothpick on the bar table, figuring that he probably wasn't listening.  
"Yea, sure." Barrett muttered, confirming my inquisition with a raised hand as he tried to again initiate a conversation with the cute brass player. "Yes, that sounds great. I've always loved brass. Listen, we kinda own a condo around here, so I'll be back again eventually. I'll see ya then, ok? I'd love to hear ya'll play again!" Barrett grinned, getting up from the bar and walking out half in joy and half in disgust aimed towards me, as the trombonist smiled prettily at him, which I noticed her do just before she frowned and rolled her eyes as she scoffed to the bow I made towards her as I exited and sighed deeply.  
"You know, Mr. Wallace, I fought just as hard as all of you against Sephiroth, I think I deserve a little more respect! In fact, if it weren't for me, you never would have gotten the Black Materia, which… oh… my goodness…" I began, but ended quickly as I readied for a heavy attack from the looming giant of a man that Barrett was.  
"YEAH! If it weren't for you, we never would have gotten the Black Materia, which ended up in the hands of SEPHIROTH! Who then used it to summon Meteor in order TO DESTROY the EARTH! Not to mention, YOU NEVER FOUGHT WITH US! You hid from behind your damn sissy computer and controlled some damn shit annoying cat thing that WAS INITALLY A SPY! YOU WERE AGAINST US FOR A MAJORITY OF THE TIME WE EVEN KNEW YOU! Or should I say, the Cait-Sith robot! Oh… and one more thing," Barrett said, preparing for the finishing blow as I cowered beneath his rage. "YOU THREATENED US WITH MARLENE! IF WE DIDN'T TAKE YOU WITH US, YOU WOULD HAVE BLOWN HER INNOCENT HEAD OFF! And you're asking for RESPECT!? Just wait and see what I do to you AFTER we get Marlene back!!!" he concluded, spit flying everywhere as the veins in his neck bulged during his erratic speech. Cracking the knuckles of his left hand loudly against the metal siding of the gun implanted in his right arm, he dragged me up onto my feet by my shirt collar, and stared deeply into my terror-stricken eyes. In the moonlight, I noticed his rage dwindling as he breathed deeply upon my face much like a raging dragon would upon a meal begging for its life. Quivering and whimpering with fear, I tried to speak with him, but I was simply too scared. Placing me back upon the ground, I collapsed in the dust of the unpaved street. Whispering something about Marlene, Barrett continued towards the docks, where the helicopter was parked. Slowly getting upon my feet and dusting my jacket off, I saw the others, led by Tifa, heading for where the Highwind had landed. Not noticing me in the darkness, I kept myself from yelling out a fond hello or goodbye. It was then that I realized my place, for no longer could I be a cocky, high-ranking Shin-Ra executive. Now I was hated and disrespected by my former enemies and now allies. Good god, what a fool I've been, trying to converse so freely with these great yet worn, unselfish heroes when I was trying to kill them just a month ago, I thought to myself.  
  
Pointing at me and giggling while swigging Kalay Lite Drafts, a favorite of tourists visiting Costa Del Sol, a few teenagers mocked me as I sat still in the sand and thought quietly. Laughing and belting out comments about bums and drunkards, they stumbled about uncontrollably. Getting up and dusting myself off, I followed the fading shadowy figure of Mr. Wallace to the docks. Suddenly there was a sound of gun shots. Looking up from the ground as I had been walking, I began a full sprint towards the helicopter pad, only to be pulled to the side and behind a building halfway there. Barrett, eyes glowing in the dark, hissed at me:  
"Reeve! What the hell are members of SOLDIER doing here!?? Without Materia, we don't stand a chance!" he whispered, searching frantically around for a quick escape, as the troops were just around the corner. Lifting his large hand off and away from my mouth and face, I tried to calm the heavily-armed maniac.  
"Barrett! Shin-Ra's dead, remember? They're with me! Their employer company is gone, so many troops and guards have been hired as executive security, ok? After all, we may have worked for Shin-Ra, but most of what's left of the ruined corporation is trying to put back together a democratic government and rebuild Junon. Midgar, of course, is lost… That's what we've been working on for the last few days while you-all were fighting Sephiroth. Alright?" I explained, peeking around the corner of the warehouse down to where the dock was and spotting several of my guards in a defensive position along the road, yelling 'Thunder!', to which I responded 'Lightning!' in order not to be shot at and to signal that we were indeed allies, a strategy that many army factions use. Leading the hesitant Barrett out from behind his hiding place, we met with the four former members of SOLDIER who had accompanied me to Junon and were now guarding the helicopter until our departure for Kalm. Walking with us down to the docks, one pointed out that it was Barrett who had fired the shots at them, yet thankfully no one was injured.  
"I dunno what got into me, I just freaked out when I saw the elite Shin-Ra troops heading slowly towards me. Um… sorry 'bout that." He said softly in response, scratching his head nervously, to which all the SOLDIERs laughed, which I realized was the first time they had done so since the time they were originally initiated into the Shin-Ra program. Soon after preparation, we were flying high above the crystalline midnight ocean, on our way to Kalm and… chaos. 


	7. Threats

Chapter VII: Threats (Tifa's Story)*  
NOTE: The story has now split into three separate quests. Chapters V, VI, and VII (and possibly groups of other future chapters) take place all at once. This chapter is from Tifa's point of view.  
NOTE: All FF fans will recognize the name Cyan. That's right: Cyan from FF6 makes his debut in this chapter! (Yet his personality may not be the same!)  
  
"Yee-haw! Here we go!" howled the eccentric Cid, a bit muffled from the lit cigarette protruding from his mouth. "Alright then, we'll be letting her down near Cosmo Canyon first, Red. I'll land about 300 yards from the entrance to the canyon. There's a nice, soft landing spot there if I remember correctly."  
"Please, call me Nanaki now, I no longer wish to hide the name given to me by my father now that I know… the truth about him." He responded, staring down at the changing landscape from high in the clouds and stirring up memories of Bugenhagen and Cosmo Canyon in us all. Walking out on to the platform deck with Vincent, I began discussing the mission ahead of us, although I was still having a hard time taking my mind off of Cloud. Rocketing off at 140+ mph, we watched as the sky around us turned from a midnight blue to a dreary gray morning. We were heading towards where the sun came up and our mission began.  
"I still don't understand how Yuffie is getting all the way to Wutai. What means of transportation could she possibly have? Nothing we had is missing, as far as transports go." I said, pondering on this mystery. "If she's going on foot, she'd surely starve before getting anywhere. The fastest way is through the Corel mountain range, although she may wind up stopping in the town of North Corel for supplies… Even so, how would she cross the ocean to get to Wutai? Whatever the case, we'll certainly get there before she does, even if she did get a head start."  
"I agree," Vincent concurred, "the circumstances surrounding this treachery are indeed quite strange. She was our ally and friend and even though she asked if she could have the Materia after the war ended, I never expected this. But what worries me most…" Vincent paused.  
"Go on…" I edged him on eagerly.  
"Well, what does she plan to do with it? She's tried this once before, and she knows we'll come after her. We're very powerful as is, but without Materia… I don't know… something seems very wrong." He concluded, causing my heart to skip a beat. Vincent was making me very nervous, as I had been hoping that this would be a quick job so that I could get back to the troubled Cloud.  
"We're about five minutes away from Cosmo Canyon." Cid reported roughly over the PA. "And we've got a problem, too."  
"Uh-oh, Let's go see what's wrong." I offered to Vincent, who followed me quickly back into the Control Room.  
  
Immediately as the heavy blast-door retracted and I stepped out onto the grated walk in the Control Room, I knew we were going to have a delayed arrival to Wutai. Red lights flashing and crew members scattering about everywhere, Cid gave us the report.  
"Apparently, some dumbass crew member of mine forgot to perform a scheduled maintenance on the No. 2 rocket engine. It was damaged in the Holy explosion and now it's leaking fuel and losing power like crazy. We're gonna have to stay the rest of the day at Cosmo Canyon while we try and fix it. We depart at this time tomorrow, 6:45 AM on the spot." Cid commented, turning back to a spastic control panel that was consistently blaring at him. "Damn you piece of shit!" he yelled at it.  
"Perhaps we should get out of their way." I said sarcastically, cocking my eyebrows and nodding as I was pushed out of the way by a crew member running to stabilize a leaky pipe and wheel.  
"Perhaps…" agreed Vincent as the ship rocked crazily, stumbling along to the crew quarters and hopping into a bunk. Sitting down on a bed, I untied my shoes and, sliding them beneath it, hit something that in turn made an 'ow' and then a growl sound.  
"Eek!" I cried in shock. I heard Vincent chuckle quietly, and looking down under the bed, I saw the glowing, fiery tale of Red XIII.  
"N-nanaki!? What are you doing under the bed?" I asked, surprised.  
"Unlike you humans, I have no hands to hold onto something. I feel safer in a firm, compact space so that I won't rock around and fall on this crazy ship." He said, feeling a little sick already. Giggling, I replied:  
"Don't worry, Nanaki, Cid will be landing the Highwind sooner than you think. Any minute now, in fact…" she paused as she felt something beneath the metallic floor rumble, "it looks like we're here!"  
  
Landing softly on the rich topsoil of the land just outside of Cosmo Canyon, the Highwind airship shut down peacefully and quietly as the crew began swarming all around the inside and outside of the damaged craft much like an ant colony on a new meal. As the crew began working, Cid, Vincent and I said a fond farewell to our intelligent cat-like canine friend. Thinking again about how fast our group was splitting apart, I wiped a tear running down my soft white cheek. With a smile, Nanaki dashed off into the dusty canyon, sprinting all the while for the tall observatory protruding above the rustic housings.  
"Good luck, old friend." Cid said in a kind tone, fiddling with the dead, burnt cigarette in his hand. Turning around he began heading for the engine that was in desperate need of repair, beckoning for us to follow.  
"Listen," he stated, "I have a better idea than what I was first planning on us doing. If we work quickly and efficiently, we'll be done by a few hours after sundown today. We'll drop you off under the cover of darkness a few miles outside of Wutai so you can sneak in and set up camp in the Da-Chao statues on the side of the mountain. It's a perfect spot, overlooking the entire city… Err, ugh…" Cid informed Vincent and I while trying to adjust a gigantic gauge.  
"Sounds perfect!" I said excitedly, realizing that I hadn't even come up with a plan yet.  
"I think we should get some sleep now, Tifa. We'll be hiking and climbing for a few hours after dusk, we probably won't be able to rest for quite a while after we set out."  
  
7 hours later at around 2 o' clock in the afternoon, I woke up from our nap with a grumbling stomach. Rubbing my eyes open, I noticed a crooked piece of paper taped onto the door leading out of the crew quarters. In sloppy handwriting, obviously that of Cid, it read:  
  
Tifa & Vincent:  
  
The boys and I finished repairing the engine, which was really quite simple after all, and because we had so much time to spare, we all decided to head for the bar in Cosmo Canyon and to see what Red is up to. Don't worry about food if you're hungry. I think I left some fried chicken from the freezer out on the Control Deck, but if not, we'll bring something back later.  
  
Cid  
  
"How nice," I grumbled, and began shuffling for the Control Room and the leftover fried chicken. As I neared the door, I heard the sound of static, and then a voice. Curious, I leaned against the wall and listened intently.  
"What you're proposing is preposterous! Wutai will not, nor ever will engage in such a matter. Your father is dying and you wish to send our struggling country to war!?"  
"Dying!? He was fine when I last visited! Are you sure, Cyan?"  
"Foolish girl! I'm his assistant, of course I can tell when my mentor and leader is dying! You may have proven yourself worthy of being his child, but your actions show that you are not yet capable of being a leader of an entire nation." Cyan shouted through the transmitter.  
"Cyan, do you realize what is going on in this world? Our only former enemy, Shin-Ra, has fallen! The world's cities are weak and separated! The time is perfect and the opportunity ripe! Think of it. And once I return home with the stolen Materia, which is more powerful beyond your wildest dreams, our army shall be unstoppable and our nation unconquerable!" she cried excitedly, and silence ensued. Sneaking in quietly, I watched the traitorous Yuffie staring through the monitor at the image of Cyan.  
"Very well, Yuffie." Sighed Cyan, yet with a devious look in his eyes. "I shall assemble our troops and report to your father. If all goes well, we will have our main troops assembling by tomorrow morning. I pray that you are right, for if we fail again at conquest, the name of Shinobi will be one of shame for all of your descendants, and the Wutainese will be looked down upon as weak cowards. However, your ideals sound quite promising. May Da-chao be with us!" he concluded as I crept in closer for a better look, readying for a fight. But then he added: "Wait, Yuffie, who's that behind you?" excitedly, as the tall and slender Yuffie Kisaragi, turning quickly after hitting the button to end the transmission, faced me with a menacing glare. Pulling out a razor-sharp ninja star, she readied for combat as I raised my fists.  
"What're you doing here?" she asked, surprised that I had snuck up on her as she was usually the one to sneak about.  
"I hate to sound cliché, but I was going to ask you the same thing." I told her unhurriedly, as she looked around frantically, focusing up above my head. Cautiously looking up as well, as not to lose sight of her, I noticed a vent with the hatch opened slightly. "Ah-ha! So you've been hiding out in the Highwind all along! So that's how you're getting to Wutai. You figured that's where we'd go first when looking for you; not shabby! But isn't that too bad, because you're never going to get the chance to go there, and I'll make sure we stop your little plan of world dominance. That is sick: Trying to invade peaceful lands just after a worldwide catastrophe that left the world in chaos. And to think you were once our ally." I concluded scornfully, fully confident in my ability to apprehend her. I was wrong, and as she grinned and showed her cute teenage smile, she drew out a handkerchief and glass orb. Covering her face with the cloth, she threw the orb at my feet, and soon I was falling fast asleep as the gas curled up about and into my nostrils.  
  
When I was shaken awake in bed by Cid and Vincent, who told me we had arrived on the island of Wutai just south of our destination, I instantly remembered what had happened nearly 5 hours ago. No doubt Yuffie had already jumped off the ship and was sprinting for Wutai, eager to warn her people and prepare for the next world war. I quickly began preparing for our trip, explaining to Vincent and Cid what I had seen and what had happened.  
"No wonder we found you on the floor of the Command Deck!" Cid shouted, rubbing his head in embarrassment. "This is a heavy piece of @#^& we're dealing with!"  
"No doubt." agreed Vincent, nodding his head. "I suggest you contact everyone you can, Cid, especially Reeve since he's working with the other top officials in the world right now who are in control and are working to rebuild governments, peace, and order. We'll do what we can for now, but if what Tifa says is true, we are indeed in a heavy load of @#%^#!" 


	8. The Realization of Evil

CHAPTER VIII: Estauns Interius (Cloud's Story)  
  
NOTE: As noted in previous chapters, I am continuing the story from several points of view. This is continuing with Cloud's POV from Chapter V. This is a short chapter, finishing up Cloud's story. (He's still in the rest, however… well, you'll see.)  
  
The mist was slowly spreading thin and disappearing under the warm sun as the young girl Purishira continued on her morning stroll along the sands south of Junon Harbor and away from the heavy pollution. She had just turned old enough to walk by herself, and now she pondered about what was going on in the world as the sand sifted between her toes. Hands together behind her back and watching her toes, she reminisced of Cloud and how he had saved her from the water beast earlier that year. I wonder where they are now, she thought, I wonder if they remember me and Mr. Dolphin. Little did she know that the heroes of her heart were now the saviors of the planet. She would never find out, but her wish of seeing me again… would soon be fulfilled.  
  
As her mind drifted in thoughts of joy, and happiness filled her heart now that Meteor was gone and the apocalypse would never come after all, she noticed something resting at her feet. Something different; something wrong. Something that made her tiny heart skip a beat and jerk her quickly and unsteadily back into reality.  
  
A golden, yellow chocobo feather: dripping in dark red blood.  
  
In horror her eyes wandered upward, spotting multiple other reddish feathers and wooden fragments. It was then that she noticed the stained red sea. It was then that she noticed the smoldering mass of metal twisted in the shore rocks that was once a Shin-Ra freighter. It was then that she noticed me, shoulders bobbing upward and down again in a hysterical laughing fit among the debris.  
  
It was then that I noticed her.  
  
'My god,' I thought in the back of my mind with what little reason I had left. 'Why can't I stop myself?'  
  
"You can't stop me." The Sephiroth inside me said. "I am you, yet you are not me. Enjoy the show." I/He cackled hurriedly, unsheathing the Buster Blade and readying for the sacrifice of a poor young girl. Facing the girl, I recognized her immediately, yet there was nothing I could do. In utter disgust at myself, I, under Sephiroth's influence, plunged at Purishira, who looked up at me with confusion and fright at the second of her death. So small, so puny, so helpless, I thought. I had no trouble in killing her, for the blade slid through her neck like butter, until she laid cold, dead, and decapitated in the warm summer sand.  
  
It felt good… What!?? Am I…?  
  
I'm giving in to his power.  
  
Everything is black. Am I… dead?  
  
'No…'  
  
I think… I… have lost. Sephiroth is alive now, I am the one who is slain.   
  
No, …wrong.  
  
I am Sephiroth, Sephiroth is Cloud. We are one and the same. I share his blood, we share the body, the cells, the genes.  
  
Master, I am your servant. Guide me, oh one-winged angel! Come! Let us destroy all! 


	9. More Senseless Slaughter?

CHAPTER IX: More Senseless Slaughter? (Reeve's Story)  
  
NOTE: As noted in previous chapters, I am continuing the story from several points of view. This is continuing with Reeve's story.  
  
Here's an intro thing:  
  
Jack: Whoa! Where am I?  
  
Liz (Jack's Friend): Yea! You finally made it!  
  
Jack: What? Is this that intro thingy that so many people do that I don't understand?  
  
Liz: Yep!  
  
Jack: Damn, I was hoping never to end up here.  
  
Liz: Hehe… too late!  
  
Jack: Oh well… Hey! I can talk to my characters here, can't I?  
  
Barrett: What the hell are you talking about 'YOUR' characters? We all belong to Squaresoft (Now Square-Enix)! And you forgot to add a disclaimer in Chapter 1!  
  
Jack: Really? Oohh… well, ya know, this IS my first fanfic. And there's the disclaimer right there!  
  
Barrett: Damn straight!  
  
Jack: Alright. Well, maybe we'll get a chance to talk again next chapter Mr. Wallace!  
  
Roll it!  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
It was nearing dawn as the Shin-Ra FC-11 hit turbulence, startling Barrett from his dreamless rest. He was tired, as was I, but anxious to get to Kalm by sunrise. Moaning and rubbing his forehead, he let his head fall back against the hard metal walling, to which he winced and again held his head. Barrett and I were sitting in the back of the chopper, facing the cockpit door and three of the SOLDIERs that were working with me. Although Barrett was having an easy time falling asleep except for the occasional turbulence, the guards and I were struggling to get a wink of rest. Their cold and fearful stares reminded me of what we were to expect at our destination: resistance and death.  
  
The four of us excluding Barrett all knew what was really going on, or to say, what was going to happen. Beneath all the partying and celebration gripping the planet worldwide, leaders, generals, and elders were now pondering on the potentials of this new world. Ergo, war was most certainly imminent.  
  
After Shin-Ra's fall and just days before the threat of Armageddon had been dispelled, I and several other officials of what was left of the corporation met at Junon, where our temporary 'headquarters' now lies. What remains of us do not represent the evil and corruption of the defunct company, rather we are struggling to keep the global economy in order. However, not all believe in us. Many are likely to think that Shin-Ra is again attempting to rise and rule; the exact opposite of our true goal. Ambassadors are being sent to all the cities and countries across the world, so that we can establish a link of communication and begin a new era of prosperity: An era in which the several countries often concede at a council and all are united in the greater good. Junon, of course, would serve as the senate table.  
  
Yet again, who will trust us? That is the real question. It is a time that worries me greatly, for the tension in the air is so thick that it could easily be gutted much like a fish. And of all rebellious nations, we were heading for Kalm first, the town that had long despised Shin-Ra's oppression the most.  
  
A green light flashed above our seats, interrupting my train of thought.  
  
Barrett was awake now, still rubbing his temple and wincing. Looking out the window, I saw the stormy sea lapping against the rocky, fog-covered cliffs of the Galbadia mountain range, a landmark not three miles south of Kalm. The copter shaking tremendously due to the extreme turbulence, I noticed Barrett turning pale. We had been lucky not to catch too much of the storm until now, but it seemed to be making up for lost time.  
  
Finally, we arrived at the coal mining city of Kalm. It was a dreary, wet morning and now none of us were in a good mood, each for our own reason. Opening the door, the musty air met me in a rush, in which there was a hint of something reminding me of… spices.  
  
"Oh god… that's gunpowder… lots of it." I realized, motioning for the guards to arm their weapons.  
  
"What!?" Barrett yelled, getting up from a crouched position from which he was about to vomit. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Barrett, I'm not here simply to take you to your little girl. I've been charged with neutralizing any and all opposition to the SA72 Act."  
  
"What the #$%^ are you talking about!? Why didn't you tell me about this on the way here? And what IS this 'act'?" he inquired, beginning to worry as he stared at the seemingly quiet town in the distance. It began to rain.  
  
"You don't want global warfare do you? Let's just say that Shin-Ra's keeping this world stitched together until everything can be permanently settled." I explained, cocking a 14-gauge shotgun. "…By any means necessary."  
  
"SHIN-RA!?"  
  
"NO! IT'S JUST A TEMPORARY RULING UNTIL COMMUNICATION AND TRADE ARE ONCE AGAIN ESTABLISHED! WE HOPE TO ONE DAY CREATE A COUNCIL, SO THAT THE NATIONS ARE UNITED! NOT ANOTHER DICTATORSHIP!" I yelled loudly, for the rain was now pouring fiercely. The head SOLDIER tapped me on the shoulder and nodded, and we began our short trek to the town, concealing our weapons beneath our clothes. As we approached, we heard loud yelling noises over the slopping of our boots through the wet mud and grass and the pouring rain. Halting, a SOLDIER spotted a sentry in the window of the nearest building. We had been spotted.  
  
As we got to the town entrance, the guards began to cut and pry the heavy metal gate open. Once in, we noted the silence. On the far end, a woman rushed inside with her baby. As we approached the center of town and the fountain, I motioned to stay quiet. Slowly revealing out our weapons, the sick, tired Barrett made a sudden outbreak:  
  
"SCREW THIS! I'VE HAD ENOUGH! I DON'T GIVE A $@#& ABOUT ANY GOVERNMENT ANYMORE! I JUST WANT MY GIRL BACK!" he said, sniveling in the rain and coughing.  
  
"MARLENE! MARLENE!" he cried, directing his shouts to the quiet, seemingly empty houses that surrounded them. Suddenly the shutters at the top of the tallest house burst open.  
  
"Daddy!" a small voice cried, causing Barrett's eyes to water.  
  
"I'M COMING MARLENE!" he screamed, rushing for the door to the house in which her daughter was waiting. I looked around anxiously, something wasn't right. My heart began to race. My shotgun loaded, the guards and I readied for the inevitable.  
  
There was a sound of thunder.  
  
I gave the signal to spread out a bit.  
  
"Why is everything so quiet? What are they doing?" I muttered under my breath. The guards pointed their machineguns in all directions, scouring for a target nervously. Meanwhile, Barrett was pounding at the door hysterically.  
  
"MARLENE! I'm coming—LET ME IN!" he roared, slamming his fists into the wet, warping wooden door that was slowly giving in.  
  
Again, lightning struck, and then I heard a *clack-clack-clack* as something hard bounced along the cobblestone path. I knew exactly what it was.  
  
"GET DOWN!" yelled a SOLDIER. But not a second after we had dropped to the floor, I felt the heat run across my face and sear my eyes.  
  
"AAAAAAH!" the guard yelled in sheer terror. The grenade had thrown him into the air, and his smoldering carcass landed roughly on the ground before me, burning brightly despite the rain.  
  
"OPEN FIRE!" I heard someone yell, and as I swabbed my burning eyes to get the rain out of the way, I saw the doors burst open and the villagers toting rifles, yelling and screaming.  
  
"DIE SHIN-RA BASTARDS! YOU'LL NEVER TAKE OUR TOWN BACK!"  
  
*KA-BLAM* The man who had uttered these words fell to the ground with a gaping hole in his chest as I again cocked my shotgun. Surrounded, we continued pelting the stubborn and ill-equipped miners. While we were outnumbered, we were certainly 'winning', as this was not what we had hoped for (although we all had figured). There was obviously no time to tell them of their mistake. Sprinting towards their demise with rifles and machetes, one got close enough to take an arm off of the SOLDIER captain. Screaming profanities he shot the man right in the forehead, and continued slaughtering the villagers.  
  
While we felt rage towards them for their arrogant and pointless rebellion, we felt sorry that we had to kill so many for no reason. We were not here to take anything back over, per se, we were simply trying to let them know that they WERE free and to stop anything like this from ever happening again.  
  
It was over quickly. 13 miners and villagers dead. 1 of our SOLDIERs dead, one injured from a bullet to the calf, and one slowly dying as he bled from the point where an arm was supposed to be. Getting up from a defensive position, we took the two injured into the house that Barrett had already broken into. While the other 3 SOLDIERs tended to their hurt comrades, I followed the stairs up to the highest room. Upon entering, I was met with a machinegun barrel to the face.  
  
"Good, its you." Barrett said grimly, holding the weeping little girl close to him. "Why the hell did you do that?"  
  
"I… had no choice. We knew this would happen. It's going to happen everywhere. But if we don't… eliminate, although we'd like to simply convene with the resisting parties… it would only lead to more trouble. That's the price to pay after a worldwide government is overthrown so suddenly…"  
  
"How can you expect to… you're KILLING these people!"  
  
"The SOLDIERs that came with us are staying here to ensure the protection and well-being of this town. As soon as I make an announcement to everyone and explain the situation, I'll be heading back for Junon. I'd like you to come."  
  
"…Why?" Barrett asked, still deadly serious.  
  
"…Unless you want to stay here of course." I said, beginning to feel the same fear of him that I felt back at Costa Del Sol, now that the excitement and adrenaline of the fight had worn down. "You see, that's where all will be meeting and hopefully the place that the golden era of this new world will commence. Also, since your home is Midgar, I thought you'd want to go with me on a search-and-rescue mission. There have already been a few but there is a LOT of rubble to go through. The city itself is still quite a bit intact, but there is no way it will ever be stable enough to function as a city. We've already found many survivors."  
  
"……Alright. I'll do it. I think that's where Marlene and I might end up living anyways. Junon it is."  
  
"Okay, we'll leave tomorrow." I said, smiling down at Marlene and heading back out to confront the terrified civilians of Kalm.  
  
"Daddy? Why is there still so much dying even after the meteor went away?"  
  
"…I don't know, honey. But it will all be over soon, okay? I promise."  
  
"Daddy?"  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"Where's the flower lady? Her momma said she was coming soon." 


	10. Dawn Of Destruction

CHAPTER X: Dawn Of Destruction (Lei's Story)  
  
Note: OKAY I'M TIRED OF WRITING THIS NOTE! If you're reading this fanfic you know that chapters may skip to different POVs. THERE! ;)  
  
Jack: Uh oh, I think I'm forgetting the story here, it's been so long since I wrote a chapter!  
  
Barrett: WHAT!? You damn slacker, get your ass in gear! YA MORON!  
  
Jack: 'Ya moron!?' …OH SHIT! O_O I'm getting the FF7 characters mixed up with Xenosaga characters! Argh!  
  
Tifa: Quick Jack, start writing!  
  
Jack: Oh Tifa, it's you! I could never… forget… you…  
  
Tifa: o_O  
  
Jack: Uhh, oh… ummmm… yeeeah…  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
"CITAN!" I called into the darkness, while sticky, cold sweat poured down my face and onto my sheets. "CITAAAAAN!!!"  
  
"You called?" a man answered, stepping into the doorway, a silhouette outlined by the moonlight. As he surveyed my shivering, pale body lying on the floor, he immediately took on a concerned tone. "What? What's wrong?"  
  
"In the south… s-something…" I blurted, slapping my palm to my head and trying to concentrate despite the sheer terror pulsing through my body. Citan Uzuki, sheathing his samurai blade, kneeled beside me.  
  
"I know… I've seen the vision many times. I'm not surprised you're seeing it now as well." Helping me up onto my feet, I sat down on the bed beside him, still clutching at my throbbing temple.  
  
"What will you do?" I asked, turning to stare into the calm eyes of the only man I could ever trust.  
  
"I must perform my duty."  
  
It was only but six months ago, when I first met the Gazel, Citan Uzuki. He had saved me from Don Corneo, a rich and powerful, yet sickened man, who was also a male nymphomaniac of sorts. He had run a high-profile gentlemen's club called The Honey Bee's Inn, in which I was forced to 'employ'. That is where I also met Cloud for the first time, the man he has been searching for: the Genome to the Eclipse. Although now we are running short on time, for the Holy Solstice has all but begun.  
  
"We will take the Bahia, she's the fastest transport we've got." He said solemnly, stroking back his hair gently and fastening it with a band. "We must get to Junon quickly!" Stumbling along and smoothing my robes, I too adjusted my hair and tied it into a knot. Sandals shuffling and grinding through the rocky beach outside our cabana, I wondered how he was able to glide so angel-like across the shore and to the boat. As he revved the motor, I sat myself down opposite him.  
  
"When will you tell me the prophecy, Citan? I've loyally followed you these past months, and still you do not tell me the meaning of this journey! If the Eclipse has already happened, then why can't you tell me what the Eclipse is!?!" As the engine roared and I was pulled toward him with the initial jerk of the boat, he turned to face me. Staring into his eyes, I could tell he was searching mine.  
  
"It's for your own good, Lei." he croaked after a period of silence, apparently finding it hard to get the words out.  
  
"Citan…" I whispered, turning to watch the sea wash by. Sadness soon began welling up inside of me at the thought of him finding me untrustworthy.  
  
Three hours later, I was still in a sour mood as we beached our transport under the shade of a rock-formation near the ocean. It was important that we did not announce our arrival to anyone. Shading my eyes from the sun, I stared down the coast to see the looming figure of a gigantic airship floating several hundred feet above the far-away coastal base. Seeing this, I shouted at Citan to take a look.  
  
"Yes, that makes perfect sense. Many are assembling here, for the world war is beginning. It is a part of the prophecy."  
  
"W-w… WAR!? Global warfare!?"  
  
"Yes, ma péche. But do not worry, I am a Gazel. For now, we must infiltrate the city undetected. I am sure security is tight now and that they don't let just anyone into the base. However, I must intercept the Soliciter. He is on his way to Junon, as well."  
  
"…Why do you need to stop a salesman??" I asked, intently curious. Citan laughed.  
  
"No, no, Lei, the Soliciter is what will bring death and destruction to this planet. It is the embodiment of all the intents of every burning soul, the essence of evil, the ruler during the time of the Holy Solstice. It is our goal to stop the Soliciter, the offspring of the Eclipse, the result of joining the Genome with the Evil Spirit." He explained lightly, still chuckling despite the severe grimness of his message. I stared at him in terror, and then realized I had finally gotten my answer. Before I could inquire why it was now that he had decided to give me my desired response, he told me: "It was time that I told you, because we're here." Looking forward, I suddenly noticed that we were indeed standing at the base of one of the towering support structures that held the city base high above the sea level. If he hadn't told me this a second sooner, I would have run right into the concrete wall.  
  
As he stood staring upwards as he had done for the last 20 minutes, I strolled along the polluted beach, kicking up trash and dead fish alike. Scanning the beach, I noticed something strange drifting towards the beach from about 20 feet offshore. It was a chunk of metal, with writing on it. There was also a body clinging to the wreckage.  
  
It was nearing noon, as I cared for the slowly-dying sailor. He couldn't talk, but nodded and shook his head in appreciation. Citan wasn't helping me in aiding the injured man, but had abandoned his attempt to melt the concrete support structure with his mind (as I had joshed him about this earlier). However, he was standing on alert. As I wrapped his wounds in clean bandages from my kit, I unbuttoned his jacket to take a look at his chest. Examining his wounds, I came across something that shocked me to the point of petrification. Running my fingers along his chest, I noticed one so large and so deep that I instantly realized this had been no accident. Citan noticed it too, and we stared into each other's eyes. Suddenly he unsheathed his sword completely, and pointed it toward the horizon. As a cloud blotted out the sun, I looked back at the groaning man, who was making a gagging noise. Convulsing and grabbing at me, he suddenly went still and slid smoothly into the sand. Checking his vitals, it was obvious he was dead.  
  
"This does not bode well." Gazel Citan Uzuki cried, as a wind from the north whipped across his face. Above, the sounds and noises of the city seemed to fade away. It was as if I was going deaf and blind at the same time, for everything was being swallowed up by silence and darkness. As I drowsily fell to the ground in slow motion, I saw a figure emerge from behind a sand dune on the far side of the support beams. Citan wasn't affected as I was, for he ran forward, his war cries fading quickly.  
  
I would have thought I was dead, but I could clearly hear a haunting choir singing. Their words were foreign, but strangely familiar…  
  
Estuans Interius Ira Vehementi.  
  
A whisper:  
  
'I am Cloudroth.' 


End file.
